Book 11: 《先進》 Xian Jin (Former Eras)
《先進》 Passage 11.12
季路問事鬼神。子曰：「未能事人，焉能事鬼？」敢問死。曰：「未知生，焉知死？」
Legge Translation (1861)
Jilu asked about serving the spirits of the dead. The Master said: "While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve their spirits?"Jilu added: "I venture to ask about death." He was answered: "While you do not know life, how can you know about death?"
Word by word
- 季路 jì lù
Jilu (Zilu), disciple of Confucius
- 季 Ji, element of 季路, an alternate courtesy name of the disciple Zilu; not a surname here
- 路 Lu, courtesy-name element in 季路, an alternate courtesy name of the disciple Zilu (仲由)
- 問 wèn
to ask, inquire about
- 事 shì
to serve, attend to
- 鬼神 guǐ shén
ghosts and spirits, gods and spirits of the dead
- 鬼 spirit of the dead, ghost
- 神 god, deity, spirit
- 子曰 zǐ yuē
the Master said
- 子 the Master, reverential title for Confucius
- 曰 said
- 未能 wèi néng
not yet able to, cannot
- 未 not yet
- 能 to be able to, can
- 事 shì
to serve, attend to
- 人 rén
people, the living
- 焉 yān
rhetorical interrogative: how
- 能 néng
to be able to, can
- 事 shì
to serve, attend to
- 鬼 guǐ
spirit of the dead, ghost
- 敢 gǎn
to dare, venture to (marks a respectful request)
- 問 wèn
to ask, inquire about
- 死 sǐ
death
- 曰 yuē
said
- 未知 wèi zhī
not yet understand, have not come to know
- 未 not yet
- 知 to know, understand
- 生 shēng
life, the living
- 焉 yān
rhetorical interrogative: how
- 知 zhī
to know, understand
- 死 sǐ
death
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